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SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Smith signs with Rangers By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ersatile Courtney Smith, who made the transition from a shortstop and outfielder to catching, is the latest Bahamian to sign a professional contract, inking his name on the dotted line with the Texas Rangers yesterday at the Courtyard Marriott. Flanked by family and church members from Miracle Revival Fellowship and four of the 15-plus Bahamian players currently playing in the minor leagues - Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm (Arizona Diamondbacks), Dominic Collie (Arizona Diamondbacks), Lucius Fox Jr (Cleveland Indians) and Larry Alcine Jr (Cleveland Indians) - Smith signed his undisclosed deal for his “long-awaited” opportunity. Smith, 21, signed the deal under the supervision of former pro player Albert Cartwright and Geron Sands, organisers of the Island Elite Group, along with Cliff Terracuso, the Texas Ranger’s scout for the South area, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. “It’s unreal, but at the same time, I earned it. I worked hard for it,” said Smith, the epitome of what perseverance is all about. “It was tough, but I am here today, thanks to I Elite, my family and friends. So I feel very good.” On Tuesday afternoon, Smith said he got the call from Cartwright, congratulating him and then Sands confirmed the message in a follow-up call to give him the details. He was informed that Terracuso was en route from Florida today to complete the paper work and prepare him to head to the Dominican Republic where he will go through the Texas Rangers’ formality before he reports to their spring training camp. “I’m excited. I’m excited to be a Ranger and to start a new chapter in my journey. It’s going to be tough, but it’s going to be a lot of fun living your dreams,” said Smith in his black pants, white shirt, black bow tie and a Texas cap on his head. In staying focused as he watched so many other players sign their

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BUTLER NAMED GB BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR DESMOND Butler, of the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons, has been named Grand Bahama Sports.com’s senior boys basketball Player of the Year, giving the basketball powerhouse back-to-back Players of the Year. He was already a great player last year, but he is performing at an elite level now that Franco Miller (last year’s Player of the Year) is out of the picture - as was expected when Butler was our preseason pick for the Player of the Year award. Basically, as long as Butler is on the floor, Tabernacle Baptist is hard to beat. His ability to find open space and or make difficult shots in the paint is remarkable. Butler is the best scorer on the team and he also excels at getting others involved in the offence. With the game on the line, there’s no question that he’s the one you want taking the shot. Kingcy Thompson, of St Georges, was the runner-up. Note: Player of the Year was selected by Grand Bahama Sport.com after consultation with the GBSSAA coaches, officials and statisticians.

COURTNEY SMITH, who made the transition from a shortstop and outfielder to catching, yesterday signed up to play pro ball with the Texas Rangers. contracts over the last two years, Smith said with the help of Fox and Todd Isaacs of the Cleveland Indians, he continued to trust the process and relied on Cartwright and Sands to keep him abreast of everything that was taking place. “Even though I felt discouraged along the way, I realised that when it’s written for you, it’s written for you and no one can take that away

from you,” said Smith, who considers himself an “outstanding guy, outgoing and what he believes in he goes for.” Over the years, Smith used his exposure to softball where he played the three positions to help keep him sharp for baseball, but he said “catching just took its place as it found me” and when he goes to the pro ranks, he said his goal is

to be the best “catcher” that the Bahamas has ever seen as he goes on to “win awards. The sky is going to be the limit. I just want to win everything and do everything.” Despite the fact that he felt his head has not always been on the right path, Smith thanked God for putting him back on the right

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The countdown begins: 54 days to go! IT is now 54 days and counting as the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations gets set to host the CARIFTA Games for the eighth time since the biggest regional track and field meet got started in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1972. The Bahamas first hosted the games in 1976 and has held it again in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1992, 2002 and 2013. The Bahamas will go on to hold the record of having hosted the games more than any other country. As the games approaches, Tribune Sports and the BAAA will highlight some of the athletes to watch during this year’s games, scheduled for March 30 to April 2 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. Today’s spotlight is on two young female athletes who will be aspiring to represent the country in the under-17 girls’ division. Anthaya Charlton has qualified for the under-17 girls’ 100 metres, having ran a time of 12.00 seconds at the Club Monica Track

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Classic over the weekend after running 12.03 at the meet in Jamaica two weeks ago, both times surpassing the qualifying standard of 12.06. She will also be attempting to qualify in the long jump. She is the daughter of Laura and coach David Charlton and a member of the Star Trackers Track Club. The 15-year-old is a ninth grader at St Augustine’s College and is the younger sister of collegian Devynne Charlton, who has also competed at CARIFTA and was a member of the IAAF World Championship team in 2017. Shaunece Miller has qualified in the under17 girls’ high jump with

a leap of 1.64 metres or 5-feet, 4 1/.2-inches at the Roadrunners Track Classic to surpass the qualifying standard of 1.60m (5-3). She is a 13-year-old eighth grader at Queen’s College and a member of Bahamas Speed Dynamics. She is the daughter of May and coach Shaun Miller Sr and the youngest sister of Olympic 400m gold medallist Shaunae Miller, who was the Austin Sealy winner for the most outstanding athlete award at the 2013 games. Her brother, Shaun Miller Jr, was the gold medallist in the under-18 division as he made his first CARIFTA team. He has moved up to the U-20 division where he hasn’t yet qualified.

ANTHAYA Charlton (top) and Shaunece Miller (above) in action.

RACE WEEKEND: BANK AWARDS TOP FINISHERS OF STUDENT RUN/RELAY SCOTIABANK awarded the top finishers of the Student Run Relay segment of the Annual Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend. The top finishers, in the straight and mixed divisions, were presented with trophies and giftbags yesterday during a special ceremony hosted by Scotiabank. The CR Walker Knights’ team of Andrew Capron, Michael Gomez, Kendrick Kemp and Jeffrey Sanchez finished first overall in 3:42.13 seconds. Forest Heights Academy out of Abaco was second in 3:47:32, and CR Walker “Soccer” team of Renaldo Green, Brandon Adderley, Miguel Thompson and Demeko Monestine finished third in 3:50:22. The Knights also won the mixed relay with their team of Clemeka Gibson, Tamia Mackey, Lhevinne Joseph and Fedline Louis. The St John’s College Giants team of Esther Simms, Hilton Forbes, Collins Jenga and Paulindo Boyer finished second and Forest Heights was third. “It was a very good experience for the guys. I don’t think we are doing as much as we can in the Bahamas to develop middle distance running so I thank Scotiabank for doing this,” he said.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 1, 2018, PAGE 3

Eagles having fun on big stage, not intimidated by Patriots By ROB MAADDI Associated Press BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — Wrestling masks have replaced the dog masks. The underdog Philadelphia Eagles are having fun with the media frenzy leading up to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. They’re staying relaxed, loose and won’t be intimidated by their opponent’s incredible success. Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson yesterday donned masks that resembled the ones WWE star Rey Mysterio and other luchadores wear in the ring. “This was a gift from Mexico so I can have super powers all week,” Cox said about the green mask featuring an Eagles logo. “I’m just having fun right now. We know why we’re here. We can’t come into this all uptight. You have fun when it’s time to have fun and get serious when it’s time to get serious.” Johnson and defensive end Chris Long pulled out German shepherd masks and wore them off the field and in their interviews after the Eagles beat Atlanta in the divisional round. The Eagles (15-3) were the first

PHILADELPHIA Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox wears a wrestling mask yesterday as he takes part in a media availability for the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game. Philadelphia is scheduled to face the New England Patriots on Sunday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) No. 1 seed to enter their first playoff game as an underdog. The city, which has always had an underdog personality, embraced the masks. Johnson and Long then turned it into a charitable venture . They created underdog T-shirts that were sold with all proceeds going to the Philadelphia school district’s not-for-profit arm. The Eagles were underdogs again in the NFC

championship game and routed the Vikings 38-7. They’re in the same spot against the Patriots, who are 4½-point favourites on Sunday. But these Eagles don’t fear Bill Belichick, Tom Brady or New England’s dynasty. Johnson called Brady a “pretty boy” and made it clear he’s not bothered by the hype. “I definitely respect him and all that he’s done in this league,” Johnson told The

Associated Press. “I’m not going to go into the Super Bowl worshipping this man and make him more than what he is. No disrespect. “As far as bulletin-board material, they can put it on their nightstands for all I care, in their bathrooms, I don’t care. I don’t think you need any motivation to play in the Super Bowl. They know that.” Brady and Belichick have led the Patriots to five Super Bowl titles, including

two of the past three seasons. They beat the Eagles 24-21 in the big game 13 years ago. Philadelphia players respect the duo’s accomplishments, but aren’t going into the game already defeated. Several players were part of a 35-28 upset win at New England in 2015. The Eagles were a losing team under Chip Kelly that season, but still went on the road and knocked off the 10-1 Patriots. That won’t matter when the teams meet for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Still, it’s a confidencebooster for some guys. “I think when you’ve been playing for a long time, you’ve had games where you’ve played unbelievable players and unbelievable coaches,” All-Pro centre Jason Kelce said. “To me, this isn’t any different. These guys have been more consistent throughout the years, but this is the NFL. “You play good players every week. There’s good coaches you go against every week. I don’t think you look at this any different than the fact that this is just another game. You see what they do really well and how you can defend it.”

GRONKOWSKI STILL IN CONCUSSION PROTOCOL AT PATRIOTS PRACTICE EDEN PRARIE, Minn. (AP) — As expected, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski remained in the concussion protocol yesterday for New England’s first Super Bowl practice in Minnesota. According to a pool report of the workout, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Gronkowski took part in non-contact drills and is “working his way back.” The Patriots worked out for two hours in their only full-padded practice of the week leading up to Sunday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Also limited were defensive linemen Deatrich Wise (concussion) and Malcolm Brown (foot). Quarterback Tom Brady practiced fully, wearing black tape on his injured right hand. Gronkowski has been in the league’s concussion protocol after taking a hit in the AFC championship game. Gronkowski said at a promotional appearance for the “Madden 18” video game Tuesday night that he would leave his game status up to team doctors.

GOODELL WANTS LEAGUE TO LOOK DEEPLY INTO CATCH RULE By BARRY WILNER Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Roger Goodell wants to see the mystery of the NFL’s catch rule solved, and he’s ensured that the process has begun. The commissioner said at his annual Super Bowl news conference yesterday that he personally sees that rule as the most obvious to address. Asked about the scrutiny that NFL officiating came under this season, Goodell said “on the catch/no catch rule, we need to find a rule we think will address that. We certainly need to get this rule right so everyone can appreciate.” Goodell recently spent three hours with former players, including Pro Football Hall of Famers, going over 150 plays. He said there were many good ideas offered, but as for the specifics of what should be a catch, there was little consensus. “There were a lot of people with different perspectives and lot of disagreement in the room,” he said.

So the competition committee will dive into not only this rule, but perhaps refining the rulebook. “I would like to start back, instead of adding to the rule, subtracting the rule. Start over again and look at the rule fundamentally from the start. Because I think when you add or subtract things you can still lead to confusion. These rules are very complex; you have to look at what the unintended consequences are of making a change, which is what the competition committee, in my view, does so well and with so much thought. “Clearly, the catch/no catch has had a lot of discussion. I won’t tell you there won’t be controversy (in the future), but we need to get to a better place.” He added that there were more video replay interruptions in 2017 “and I think we can look at that. How do we make the game more attractive with less stoppages is one of the things we focus on. How do we use replay to ensure correcting obvious mistakes but making sure it doesn’t

interrupt the flow of the game.” Goodell noted that in his 36 years working in the NFL, officiating always has been in the spotlight. Recently, because of advances in technology, the attention has ratcheted up significantly. Goodell revealed that the league has hired an independent investigator to look into claims of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace against Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. Former US attorney Mary Jo White will lead the investigation. White has led similar investigations in other fields, including a recent one at the University of Rochester. Richardson stepped away from day-to-day operations after allegations surfaced and is seeking to sell the team. The NFL has said it didn’t pressure Richardson to sell based on the allegations. Goodell said he wants the team to remain in Carolina and believes most of the other owners do, as well.

“I am sure that is a question many of our owners will ask,” Goodell said of the Panthers staying in Charlotte under new ownership. He also: — announced that the Rams will play a home game in Mexico City against the Chiefs. Until the new stadium in Los Angeles is ready in 2020, the Rams are likely to spend one home game a year elsewhere. — reiterated his stance that it’s not the NFL’s place to get involved in whether Colin Kaepernick gets a chance with another team. “Clubs have to make their own decisions as far as who’s on their roster,” he said. Kaepernick, who sparked the protests involving the national anthem early in the 2016 season, wasn’t signed for the 2017 season following his release in San Francisco. The comments from Goodell came a day after Philadelphia Eagles receiver Torrey Smith said Kaepernick not getting a chance with another team “kind of falls in the category

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference in advance of the Super Bowl 52 football game, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) of an injustice in itself.” As it relates to roster decisions, Goodell said the NFL won’t “get involved in that in any way.” — referred to the recently created owners/players committee on social justice when asked any questions about protests during the national anthem, expressing optimism the NFL and

its players are on the proper path. — said he was aware of the plans to relaunch the rival XFL in 2020, but had been too busy to look at details. Goodell emphasized that the NFL constantly looks at spring football options if they will improve opportunities to reach the NFL.

AP SOURCE: FOX GETS THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FOR 5 YEARS, $3B By BARRY WILNER Associated Press BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — Fox and the NFL have agreed to a five-year deal for Thursday night football games. Those games previously were televised by CBS and NBC, two of the league’s other network partners. Fox announced yesterday that it will televise 11 games between Weeks 4 and 15, with simulcasts on NFL Network and Fox Deportes. Fox, which has the Sunday afternoon NFC package, will produce all of the games under the deal, which is worth a little more than $3 billion, according to a person with direct knowledge of the terms of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league didn’t announce its value.

“This is a single partner deal, we are not splitting the package,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a conference call. “We had tremendous amount of interest from all the broadcast partners, all of whom wanted it exclusively. We felt this was the best opportunity for the NFL to grow the Thursday night package.” Goodell added that the league is exploring partnerships with digital outlets, also in conjunction with Fox. The NFL has broadcast deals “five years out” with its other partners — ESPN has the Monday night package — so five years on this agreement made sense. “Fundamentally, Fox was built on football,” said Peter Rice, president of 21st Century Fox, nothing that 25 years ago, the NFC package “helped launch a

fledgling network into what it is today.” “These opportunities come along very, very infrequently,” he added. “You either have the rights to the most-watched content in media or you don’t. If you don’t take the opportunity, this won’t come up again for five years. We believe in buying the very best rights, and the best rights are the NFL.” CBS and NBC each paid $450 million for the previous two-year package. “We explored a responsible bid for Thursday Night Football but in the end are very pleased to return to entertainment programming on television’s biggest night,” CBS said in a statement. “At the same time, we look forward to continuing our terrific long-term partnership with the NFL on Sunday afternoons, with

more than 100 games per season including next year’s Super Bowl 53.” Fox could have a conflict if weather causes a World Series game to be postponed from Wednesday to Thursday. In recent years, Series Game 2 and 6 have been scheduled for Wednesday. “In that hypothetical kind of a scenario, the World Series game would stay on Fox and our Thursday night game would become an FS1/NFL simulcast,” Fox spokesman Eddie Motl said. Goodell noted that the Thursday night games are a place for innovation. “One of the things we’ve taken into consideration with Thursday night in general is to evolve this package, to use it as an opportunity to learn, to understand where these various platforms are going, and what we can do to make it a

more attractive experience for our fans,” he said. “We will look at that in that context, and the term will be consistent with what it will take to make sure that we continue to evolve that platform as well as the experience for our fans.” That means streaming outlets, of course. “We have accepted bids for digital partners,” Goodell said. “We have very healthy competition. In fact, I would say it’s unprecedented competition from a number of digital partners. “As I say, we put our focus on the broadcast package first. ... We are not required to go coterminous with the broadcasts. We can do any length of deal that we get to an agreement on with that digital partner. As I mentioned earlier, we will be doing this in cooperation with our Fox partners.”

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THE TRIBUNE

‘IGGY’ AND CARIFTA TEAM VISIT TEMPLE CHRISTIAN THE Flow CARIFTA Games Bahamas 2018 team was at the Temple Christian School on Tuesday to continue its campaign’s message to be “The Best You” in line with the theme of the games: “Faster, Further, Higher.” The students were encouraged to be students of excellence and to be the best they can be. Whether in athletics or academics, they should strive for excellence. That was the message delivered by Philip Gray, senior marketing director of the games. The students were also encouraged not to succumb to peer pressure and the use of illicit drugs, as these areas are great temptations to many young people. Also present at the school was CARIFTA 2018 Mascot Iggy, the Iguana, who encouraged and inspired the kids as well and entertained them as they danced together.

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INDIA BEATS SOUTH AFRICA FOR PRIDE-SAVING WIN IN 3RD TEST By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer JOHANNESBURG (AP) — India clinched a pride-saving win in the third test against South Africa on Saturday, a victory on a poor and unpredictable pitch that nearly caused the game to be called off, but ultimately gave Virat Kohli’s top-ranked team something to take from a tour of discontent. It was India’s pace bowlers leaving a trail of destruction behind them late on the fourth day at the Wanderers as South Africa’s batsmen were subdued quickly after showing signs of resistance, most notably with Dean Elgar’s body-on-the-line innings of 86 not out. Chasing a target of 241 — a tough challenge on a cracked surface that left batsmen often guessing, and bruised, and in pain in Elgar’s case — South Africa was bowled out for 177. Mohammed Shami was the fast bowler to deliver the final blows, collecting 5-28 as the South Africans went from 124-1 and in with a chance to all out and finished just 53 runs and 21 overs later. Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each for India in support of Shami’s matchending spell. India’s win by 63 runs, in conditions at the extreme opposite of what they prefer, avoided an embarrassing 3-0 series whitewash for the No. 1 team in the world. India still lost the series 2-1, but Kohli welcomed the Wanderers win as a sign of hope

for a team that has for years struggled on tour on green, fast-bowler friendly pitches. This one was greener and faster than most. “We saw banners (in the crowd) of whitewash, 3-0 and all that,” Kohli said. “So it’s really, really sweet to win this game. Massive. This could be a massive milestone for us.” India’s troubles with performing outside of subcontinent conditions means it has never won a series in South Africa, and still hasn’t, but it’s also still never been whitewashed in the country. That second record appeared under threat when Elgar and Hashim Amla put together a 119-run stand for the second wicket in Johannesburg. They guided the Proteas, first, through a nasty final period on day three when Elgar was hit in the grill of his helmet with a bouncer, causing umpires to take players off for a potentially dangerous pitch. That moment, less than 20 minutes before the close of play on Friday, threatened to undermine the test, and maybe the series, if the game was abandoned. But the game resumed on Saturday, as did Elgar after he passed two concussion tests because of the blow on the helmet. He then made 86 not out, taking more hits on the body on the fourth day as he carried his bat through the South African innings in the most trying of circumstances. “Personally it’s a nice achievement but it’s very bittersweet,” Elgar said.

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Thursday, February 1, 2018, PAGE 5

ATLANTIC MEDICAL SUPPORTS SWIMMERS QUALIFYING FOR CARIFTA WITH over five years of sponsorship, Atlantic Medical has continued to support the sport of swimming and the Barracuda Swim Club. This weekend, the Barracuda Swim Club will host the Atlantic Medical Insurance Invitational starting at 6pm this Friday, February 2 and at 9am on Saturday, February 3 in the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre at the QE Sports Complex. And at 9am on Sunday, February 4, there will be a 1000m and 5,000m Open Water Swim at Long Wharf Beach beginning at 9am. Atlantic Medical is once again playing a vital role by supporting the youth of the nation through the sport of swimming. Atlantic Medical, with its wellness programme and annual fun run/walk which is usually held in April, has a long-standing record as being a company which promotes healthy lifestyles and improving the quality of lives through healthy eating and exercising. The sport of swimming is just one avenue persons can

use to work towards achieving a healthy life. Atlantic Medical Insurance along with the Barracuda Swim Club work together to help athletes excel both in and out of the pool through discipline, passion and commitment to the sport and to the overall healthy life of a child. “We are pleased that Atlantic Medical Insurance has once again supported our club and the advancement of the sport of swimming throughout the Bahamas.” said Kenris Longley, president of Barracuda. “This year, along with swimming at the aquatic centre, our club will host a 1,000m and 5,000m Open Water Event at Long Wharf Beach beginning at 9am on Sunday. “We hope that the public would come out to support the swimmers as this event is an opportunity for them to qualify for the 2018 Carifta Swimming and Open Water Championships which will be held in Kingston, Jamaica at the end of March.”

SMITH SIGNS WITH RANGERS from PAGE 1

course, his family for supporting him and Cartwright and Sands who brought him up as their son. He also thanked Courtyard Marriott for hosting his signing and accommodating him and his family, friends and church members, who “love and care” for him. His mother Chantelle Forbes said her only son among three girls was also special and she was proud to support him in all of his endeavours. “I’m happy for Courtney. He’s been trying so hard to actually get to this point,” she pointed out. “There were a lot of disappointments along the way, but he seemed focused. Every morning he would pray and ask God for his guidance and to make sure that this was actually path that he wanted him to go. When things are not going the way you

SHOWN (l-r) are Darren Bastian, Business Development Manager Atlantic Medical; Ms. Nicole Reilly, Treasurer Barracuda Swim Club; Ms. Annastasia Francis, Director of Operations Atlantic Medical; Mrs. Carolyn Neil, Vice President Barracuda Swim Club and Mr. Donovan Ingraham, Wellness Coordinator Atlantic Medical

want it to go, you have to ask for guidance. “He continued to pursue his dreams and whenever any opportunity came, he would always take it. When there was any local function going on, he would always go and play. So when he got the call yesterday (Tuesday), it was what he was waiting on. So I want to congratulate him and to let him know that I will always be there for him. He’s still young, but I’m so excited for him.” Terracuso, back in town after a month ago to sign Keithron Moss, who is now in the Dominican Republic training, said they expect that Smith will report to the Dominican Republic in a few days to get acclimatised to the Rangers’ brand of baseball. Following that, he will head to spring training camp in Arizona in early March. He said Smith is definitely the real deal. “He checks out a lot of the characters and make-up of what we look for,” said Terracuso, who thanked Courtyard Marriott for

hosting him. “We know what kind of kids we are getting and it’s so easy for us to turn them over to our Player Development programme. We know what we are getting in Courtney. His work ethic is very good. He’s a very good baseball player and his hard work is what sets him aside. “Wherever he goes from here is all up to him, how hard he works and what he does with his opportunities. Nothing will be given to him in life or in baseball. He has to earn it. As long as he continues to work hard, he will be able to accomplish what he dreamed, which is to be a professional baseball player, which he is today and be a major leaguer. That will take some years in minor league to out-work everybody, but he has the tools to do it.” Terracuso, however, said none of Smith’s accomplishments would have been achieved without the assistance from Cartwright and Sands, whom he credited for the manner in which they have groomed the players.

“They understand the game, the love the players here and they do a good job of guiding and training the players here, training them what’s right and what’s wrong and how to train and how to become a professional baseball player,” he pointed out. “So I have to give a lot of credit to Island Elite. Those guys are amazing. They do a great job for baseball here in the Bahamas.” Cartwright, formerly a 10-year veteran of the minor league before he retired last year, has been grooming Smith like a “son” through his “ups and downs,” so he called it a great day for him and the Island Elite organisation because it’s not everyday that a player at age 21 gets a shot at a pro contract. “I’m just glad that he got the opportunity to play professional baseball,” said Cartwright, who along with retired Major leaguer Antoan Richardson were the pacesetters for the youngsters now playing in the minor league. “He’s one step closer to that

dream of playing major league. He went through the journey and he understands what it is he has to do. So he has to take it for what it’s worth and enjoy every moment of it because you never know when it’s your last time playing.” Cartwright, a talented second baseman who just fell short of getting in the majors, said obviously the Rangers see something in him and he will definitely make them proud of that decision to sign him. For Sands, it has been a long process, but they are glad that it’s all over. “He didn’t have it easy all his life, but he kept on fighting for it,” he said. “Courtney has been in the trenches for at least three years now, working with us, travelling back and forth to the Dominican Republic and the US trying to get workouts, working out with teams. He didn’t let nothing deter him once or twice. He went back to the drawing board, did some stuff differently and now here he is signing his contract.”

RACE WEEKEND: BANK AWARDS TOP FINISHERS OF STUDENT RUN/RELAY FROM PAGE 1 “It was a good experience for the guys. Everybody gelled together, they did well and so we just want to congratulate everyone involved.” Knights head coach Ednal Rolle said: “I just want to say thanks for the experience. It was a good event to have and to get my kids this exposure to see all the other kids at this level competing in the marathon.” Nakera Symonette, senior manager for marketing and public relations at Scotiabank, endorsed the partnership between her organisation, Sunshine Insurance and the schools as one of the highlights of the year for all stakeholders. “In 2013 we became the lead partner for the Scotiabank Students Run Marathon Bahamas initiative, which provides an opportunity for distance running student athletees to participate in the relay component of Marathon Bahamas. This aligns well well with our global social responsibility platform which focuses on young people in the community,” she said. “At Scotiabank we believe that youth have the right to become better off and are committed to doing our part to help them realise their goals by giving back to the community in meaningful ways that impact our country’s future leaders. We know that focusing on young people is an investment in the long term security, stability and growth of both our communities and businesses.” The student athlete segment of a packed schedule for Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend is one of the local highlights of Marathon Bahamas. Paul McWeeney, president of Sunshine Insurance, thanked Scotiabank for their continued support of the student athletes and

shows the commitment of both organisations toward youth development. “Marathon Bahamas is now an international event as we have been voted one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner’s World UK. Scotiabank has been at the forefront of supporting youth in the Bahamas through a number of initiatives and this is a very important one for us. We hope this partnership continues,” he said. “You student athletes have carried yourselves extremely well and have represented your schools extremely well. I want to commend you because I know a lot of time and effort has gone into distance training. It takes, commitment, training and this hard work will pay off. These are life learning lessons. The discipline that it took and this effort will go a long way in helping you to become a contributor and a leader in our society.” Said Trevor Strachan, student run race coordinator and proprietior of Winshield House and Parts Locator: “It’s a privilege to be here and to invest in people again. I just really want to thank Scotiabank for giving us this opportunity to continue to grow our young people. It is important that they don’t waiver in their sponsorship of this event. I know there were some challenges this year, but we were still able to pull it off and we are just very appreciative to them both the financial effort and for the effort they have put behind the scenes because it is a lot more than the eyes can see,” he said. “For Marathon Bahamas putting that on, I think most people don’t realise the amount of planning and time that goes into this. So it is important that we keep this alive.” Strachan, a former middle distance runner, said this is just a way for him to give back to the sport that has enabled him to secure

an athletic scholarship to obtain a college education. “I was a recipient of a scholarship as a student athlete and I know it opens the doors for young people for a lot of stuff so it is important that we keep this going.

“I’m so proud of all of the people involved in this and hats off to the students that sacrificed their time. A lot of people don’t realise the effort that goes into making this happen,” he said. “When you’re in the middle of that race, you’re

trying to carry that baton, and hold on for your teammates, and your mind is telling you your body has had enough – you power through. “We are trying to instil life lessons in you through this process. When you

get your job, your marriages your relationships, your ambitions, you power through and that’s what this is all about.” The teams were also presented with gift bags and lunch courtesy of Scotiabank.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 1, 2018, PAGE 7

COLUMN: MEDIOCRE SCORE, ROUSING SUCCESS IN TIGER’S RETURN By DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — One year later, Tiger Woods looked five years younger. There are intangibles that are hard to measure, though at this stage in his return, they mean more than the traditional measure of a golfer. Woods was walking just as tall at the end of the week as when he arrived at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open, and not just because he played four rounds on the PGA Tour for the first time in 29 months. It’s not often that Woods says words like “pleased” and “positive” after a tie for 23rd. But it would be hard to argue with him. This did not look like the previous five comebacks from when he had the first of four back surgeries a week before the 2014 Masters. There was no sense of how long he would last, rather how long it would take for him to get sharper.

“Ninety holes over five days in a row ... I know he did that in the Bahamas, but those were 3½ hours, and now we’re playing fivehour rounds,” caddie Joe LaCava said. “That makes a difference because you’re adding about seven, eight hours on your feet, playing golf, thinking about what to hit, and hitting shots. So I’m glad he got through that. I’m not saying health isn’t going to be an issue, but it certainly looks better than it has.” The only concern was off the tee. Woods hit 17 out of 56 fairways for the week, tied for last among the 77 players who made the cut. He hit only three fairways in each of the final three rounds, and his drive on the par-5 10th hole on the North Course was 65 yards left of the edge of the fairway. But then, that might have worked in his favour. How else would he get a sense that his back could handle so many violent swings required to get him out of that mess?

“I’m thinking he’s going to go away for two weeks and it will be very interesting if he can put his finger on the things he needs to work on.” Keeping score should be easy in golf, except when it comes to this version of Woods. There is a call for patience because he has played so little tournament golf and even less with a semblance of good health. But at some point, he should be measured against the field. He should be measured not so much by winning, but by having a chance. Asked what he thought of Woods’ return, two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange took the right path. “It’s not for me to pass judgment on four rounds of golf,” he said Tuesday. “I’m giving him most of the year, and then we’ll revisit.” In the meantime, his return was as advertised. Tournament officials issued a notice a few hours after Woods two-putted for birdie from 75 feet to make the cut on the number. It

FANS record with cell phones as Tiger Woods hits from the rough on the 14th hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the Farmers Insurance Open. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. That might be it before the Masters. Woods is not in the two World Golf Championships in March. He is contemplating the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, but that would mean four tournaments in five weeks, and that might be too much too soon. If there was curiosity about his performance at Torrey Pines, there is even more about how he plays Riviera. “We can see the swing is out of sync. He can feel it’s out of sync,” six-time major winner Nick Faldo said before the final round.

“Some of the shots I had to hit out of the rough, out of the trees, shaping them both ways, and a few times I had to jack up the speed,” Woods said after the final round. “And had no issues at all.” The issue was being there in the first place, but there’s time. Woods headed home for two weeks before he comes back out to California for the Genesis Open at Riviera, a course where he made his PGA Tour debut at age 16 in 1992 but last played in 2006. He’s likely to play the Honda Classic a week later, and then have two weeks off before the

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 54° F/12° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Partly sunny and breezy

Partly cloudy

Partly sunny with a shower

Clouds and sun, a shower; breezy

Partly sunny and breezy

Clouds and sun with a stray shower

High: 80°

Low: 72°

High: 80° Low: 72°

High: 80° Low: 71°

High: 82° Low: 72°

High: 82° Low: 71°

AccuWeather RealFeel

78° F

73° F

90°-68° F

80°-70° F

84°-78° F

94°-74° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 73° F/23° C Low: 66° F/19° C

7-14 knots

High: 75° F/24° C Low: 62° F/17° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 65° F/18° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 57° F/14° C

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 67° F/19° C

MIAMI

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 65° F/18° C

6-12 knots

KEY WEST

High: 74° F/23° C Low: 68° F/20° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 72° F/22° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

8:11 a.m. 8:35 p.m.

3.4 2.8

1:52 a.m. -1.1 2:37 p.m. -0.9

Friday

9:01 a.m. 9:27 p.m.

3.3 2.9

2:45 a.m. -1.0 3:26 p.m. -0.9

Saturday

9:51 a.m. 10:19 p.m.

3.2 2.8

3:38 a.m. -0.8 4:14 p.m. -0.8

Sunday

10:40 a.m. 11:12 p.m.

2.9 2.7

4:31 a.m. -0.5 5:03 p.m. -0.6

Monday

11:29 a.m. -----

2.6 -----

5:25 a.m. -0.2 5:51 p.m. -0.4

Tuesday

12:06 a.m. 12:21 p.m.

2.6 2.4

6:22 a.m. 0.0 6:41 p.m. -0.2

Wednesday 1:01 a.m. 1:15 p.m.

2.5 2.1

7:21 a.m. 7:33 p.m.

0.3 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:53 a.m. 5:55 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

7:23 p.m. 7:44 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Feb. 7

Feb. 15

Feb. 23

Mar. 1

CAT ISLAND

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

7-14 knots

8-16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 73° F/23° C Low .................................................... 67° F/19° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 64° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 75° F/24° C Last year’s low ................................... 60° F/16° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 5.69” Normal year to date ..................................... 1.35”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

said public parking for Saturday was sold out. The gallery for the final group on Saturday — which included Jon Rahm, who had a chance at reaching No. 1 in the world — was typical of the last two years, mainly because the thousands of additional fans were with Woods. From behind the third green, one could see across the gorge to the 14th hole, where fans stood shoulder to shoulder from the tee to the corporate box next to the green. On Sunday, Woods worked his way through the gallery behind the eighth green, across the 18th fairway and then through another throng to get to his final hole. Everyone wanted a glimpse of him. Right after Woods walked by, one woman broke into a big smile and said to her friend, “Those 45 minutes were so worth it.” There is no greater appeal in golf than Woods, especially when it looks as though he might be around a while.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 72° F/22° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 79° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Shown is today’s H weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 78° F/26° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

10-20 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS E at 7-14 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NW at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 4-8 Knots

WAVES 5-9 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 5-9 Feet 3-6 Feet 5-9 Feet 3-6 Feet 5-9 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 5-9 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 8-12 Feet 5-9 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 2-4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 74° F 74° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F 77° F 77° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 75° F 75° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 77° F